Device comprising a screen comprising a celluar material

ABSTRACT

Packaging and application device ( 1 ), comprising: —a container ( 10 ) containing a product (P) to be applied, —a screen ( 30 ), comprising a cellular and deformable material, through which the product contained in the container ( 10 ) exits, the container ( 10 ) comprising a bottom ( 12 ), the screen ( 30 ) being able to come into contact with the bottom ( 12 ) of the container ( 10 ) when the product (P) in the container ( 10 ) has been used up.

The present invention relates to a device for packaging a cosmetic product.

The invention relates more particularly to a device comprising a container containing a product to be applied and a screen through which the product contained in the container can exit.

Numerous devices of this type are known, with screens that have dispensing orifices through which the product exits, having various shapes and arrangements. The screen may or may not be a follower, that is to say may or may not descend in the container during the dispensing of the product and the emptying of the container.

Application CN202664613 discloses a device comprising a screen that has a central dispensing orifice of hexagonal cross section and a plurality of dispensing orifices disposed around this central orifice, each having an elongate shape and major axis that is oriented substantially radially.

The publication JP2003-79425 discloses a device in which the screen is constituted by a grating fixed to a support frame provided with tabs that can bend against the edge of the housing of the container containing the product when the screen descends in the container during the emptying thereof.

The document FR2815832 teaches a device comprising a closure element and an applicator which, in the closed position of the closure element, rests against a compressible porous member allowing the applicator to be loaded with product.

The document FR2856255 describes a makeup powder container comprising a separating element made of elastic material, cuts being formed through this separating element. The cuts are closed when no mechanical pressure is applied and open by stretching of the separating element during use so as to allow the makeup powder to pass through the separating element.

There is a need to further improve packaging devices comprising a screen, in particular in order to simplify the manufacture thereof and to improve the application of the product and/or the loading of an applicator.

The invention achieves this objective by virtue of a device for packaging a cosmetic product, comprising:

-   -   a container containing the product to be applied,     -   a screen, comprising a cellular and deformable material, through         which the product contained in the container exits,

the container comprising a bottom, the screen being able to come into contact with the bottom of the container when the product in the container has been used up.

The cellular nature of the material constituting the screen can, in particular in the case of open porosity, allow the product contained in the container to easily pass through the screen from its lower surface to its upper surface in order that the user can pick up the product from the upper surface of the screen.

An adequate quantity of product can be picked up from the upper surface of the screen. In particular, the device makes it possible to limit and control the quantity of product picked up, by providing the interface constituted by the screen between the user and the mass of product contained in the container.

The screen may retain part of the product in the pores.

The cellular nature may also allow the screen to have a relatively rough surface that is favourable to shearing the product when it is picked up, thereby making it possible to load the applicator more homogeneously.

The product can be picked up for example with a finger, a sponge, a plastics applicator which is flocked or not flocked, or a fine brush.

The ability of the screen to come into contact with the bottom of the container when the product in the container has been used up makes it possible to almost completely empty the container of product.

The screen may be able to mould itself to the shape of the bottom of the container when the product in the container has been used up.

The screen comprises a lower surface that is oriented towards the product contained in the container and an upper surface away from the product contained in the container.

The maximum thickness between the lower surface and the upper surface of the screen is also called the thickness of the screen, it being possible for the latter also to be referred to as a membrane.

The thickness of the screen may be between 0.4 and 5 mm.

The area of the upper surface of the screen may be between 180 mm² and 3800 mm².

Such an area of the upper surface and such a thickness of the screen make it possible to have a large surface for the user to access the product, while minimizing the quantity of cellular material that is necessary and the quantity of product that remains trapped in the screen at the end of use.

The screen is preferably constituted entirely by the cellular material.

Depending on the degree of initial filling of the container, and whether or not the screen is a follower, the product contained in the container may or may not be in contact with the lower surface of the screen when no pressure is applied to the latter by the user.

Preferably, the screen hugs the surface of the product contained in the container while said product is being picked up.

The screen is preferably elastically deformable. This allows the screen to deform under the pressure exerted by the user in order that its lower surface comes into contact with the product contained in the container, if the product is not already in contact with the lower surface of the screen when pressure is not being applied. When the product is already in contact with the lower surface of the screen, at rest, this makes it easier to load the screen with product and to increase the quantity of product available to the user at the upper surface of the screen.

The screen may comprise, in particular consist of a polyurethane PU foam, a polyethylene PE foam, an EVA foam, a PVC foam, an impregnated PU foam, a cellular EPDM rubber, a cellular neoprene rubber, a cellular nitrile rubber (NBR/PVC), a compact neoprene rubber, a hard EPDM rubber, a solid SBR rubber, a compact nitrile rubber, a spongy rubber (EPDM, neoprene, silicone), a polyether and/or a polyester.

The cellular material may be an open-cell material.

In a variant, the cellular material is a closed-cell material, the screen then having one or more through-orifices passing through it, said through-orifices being produced for example by laser cutting.

When the material of the screen is an open-cell material, it is possible for the screen not to have any through-orifices produced by cutting or drilling.

The screen is preferably single-layered or multi-layered. There are for example a plurality of material layers having different porosities.

Whether or not it has open cells, the screen may have through-orifices. The through-orifices may each have a circular or non-circular, in particular polygonal, cross section.

The through-orifices may have a constant or non-constant cross section through their thickness.

The through-orifices may be produced by drilling and/or cutting, in particular laser cutting.

The screen may have cavities that are not through-cavities, in particular when it is made of an open-cell material, said cavities being produced for example by cutting, drilling or grinding. By locally reducing the thickness of the material, these cavities can help the product to pass through the screen.

The screen may or may not be a follower.

The product is preferably fluid.

The viscosity of the product may be between 40 and 90 UD (Deviation Unit), preferably between 55 and 80 UD, or between 366 and 569 cP (centiPoises), or between 0.37 and 0.57 Pa·s.

This viscosity is measured at 25° C. with a Rheornat 180 (Lamy) equipped with an MS-R2 spindle, selected for a low to medium viscosity of the product, which rotates at a speed of 200 revolutions per minute. The measurement is taken after a rotation time of 10 minutes. The viscosity measurements are taken at the latest one week after manufacture.

Such a viscosity makes it possible to improve the taking of the product from the upper surface of the screen and to avoid product flowing during use.

The product can be taken from the upper surface of the screen with the aid of an applicator. This applicator may comprise or be constituted of an applicator member such as a foam, a brush, a sponge, a nonwoven, or a flocked end piece.

In a variant, the product is picked up with a finger, by passing the latter over the screen.

The product is preferably a cosmetic product. The latter may be a foundation or a complexion corrector, a concealer product, or a care product.

The upper surface of the screen may be substantially flat in its part through which the product passes during use. The lower surface of the screen may be substantially flat in its part through which the product passes during use.

The thickness of the screen may be substantially constant in its part through which the product passes during use.

The thickness of the screen may be substantially constant before it is integrated into the device, the screen being manufactured for example by cutting out a disc from a film of cellular material.

The areas of the upper and lower surfaces of the screen may be the same or different.

The device may comprise a protective lid which covers the screen when the product is not being picked up.

The protective lid can be fixed to the body of the container by friction, screw-fastening, bayonet locking or snap-fastening.

In a variant, the protective lid can be connected to the body of the container in an articulated manner or by a sliding connection.

It is possible for the device not to have an applicator accommodated between the protective lid and the screen. This makes it possible to simplify manufacture compared with devices in which an applicator is incorporated, and to give the user greater freedom of choice for applying the product.

In one variant, the device may comprise an applicator so as to provide the user with a complete system.

The device may comprise a mirror, in particular accommodated in the protective lid.

The device may comprise no wiper member through which the applicator is extracted.

The device may comprise no bellow, in particular in the container.

The screen may be fixed at its periphery to the rest of the device, notably at a distance from the bottom of the container which does not vary with the amount of product present in the container.

The screen may be fixed at its periphery to the rest of the device by at least one lower ring and at least one upper ring for holding the screen. The latter can be gripped between the upper and lower rings, thereby making it possible for the screen to be held effectively.

The upper and lower rings may engage with one another by snap-fastening or in some other way.

To this end, the upper ring, or lower ring, may comprise a coupling relief and the lower ring, or upper ring, may comprise an annular groove in which the coupling relief can be snap-fastened.

At least one of the upper and lower rings, better still both the lower ring and the upper ring, may comprise one or more catching spikes inserted into the screen. so as to further improve the holding of the screen by catching.

The container may comprise an annular groove for receiving the lower ring.

In one variant, the screen may be fixed at its periphery to the rest of the device by at least one ring overmoulded with the screen.

In another variant, the screen may be fixed at its periphery to the rest of the device by being clamped between the container and at least one fixing ring.

The container may comprise a relief, such as an annular groove, in which one of the upper or lower ring, in particular the upper ring, is snap-fastened.

The bottom of the container may have a concave shape towards the screen.

The bottom of the container may have a paraboloidal, ellipsoidal or spherical shape.

The bottom of the container may be situated roughly at the same level as the lower part of the packaging and application device.

The screen may come into contact in a reversible manner with the bottom of the container, when there is no product, and when a corresponding pressure is exerted from above in order to press it against the bottom of the container.

Preferably, the screen may come into contact in a reversible manner with any point on the bottom of the container, when there is no product, and when a corresponding pressure is exerted from above in order to press it against the bottom of the container.

The container may comprise a rigid body.

The rigid body may be produced by moulding a thermoplastic material, with a cavity defining the space holding the product.

The container may be a container other than a flexible sheet.

A further subject of the invention is a makeup method comprising the steps of:

-   -   loading an applicator with product by using a device according         to the invention,     -   applying the product to a region to be made up of human keratin         materials.

The applicator may be loaded without moving the applicator other than by moving it into contact with and then away from the screen, this causing the product to be deposited on the applicator.

In a variant, at the time that product is picked up, the user can turn the applicator and/or move it in translation in contact with the screen.

The product may be grasped by friction or by tapping the applicator or the finger on the screen.

The invention may be better understood from reading the following detailed description of non-limiting implementation examples thereof and from examining the appended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows, in axial section, an example of a device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the device from FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows, in axial section, the container of the device from FIGS. 1 and 2 on its own,

FIG. 4 shows, in axial section, the lower ring of the device from FIGS. 1 and 2 on its own,

FIG. 5 shows, in axial section, the upper ring of the device from FIGS. 1 and 2 on its own,

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of picking up the product, and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a variant embodiment of the invention.

The packaging device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a container 10 of axis X containing a cosmetic product P to be applied, a screen 30 and a protective lid 40.

The protective lid 40 comprises an internally threaded mounting skirt 23 that is designed to be screwed onto a threaded neck 13 that is present in the upper part of the body 11 of the container 10.

The protective lid 40 may accommodate a seal 24 which, when the lid is screwed onto the threaded neck 13, presses against the upper end edge of the latter.

The seal 24 is, for example, in the form of a disc.

In the example in question, the screen 30 is in the form of a film of cellular material of substantially constant thickness e in its part through which the product passes during use.

This thickness e of the screen 30 is for example between 0.4 and 5 mm.

The area of the upper surface S_(sup) of the screen 30 is for example between 180 mm² and 3800 mm².

The area of the lower surface S_(inf) of the screen 30 is for example between 180 mm² and 3800 mm².

The screen 30 is elastically deformable, being made for example of polyurethane foam.

The product P is preferably fluid at ambient temperature (20° C.), being for example a foundation or a complexion corrector, a concealer product, a composition for the lips, or an eyeshadow.

The packaging and application device 1 comprises a lower ring 60 and an upper ring 70 for holding the screen 30, which is gripped between the two rings.

The body 11 of the container 10, shown on its own in FIG. 3, comprises an annular groove 19 for receiving the lower ring 60. The bottom of the annular groove 19 has a rectangular shape.

The annular groove 19 is delimited radially towards the inside by a rib 18 against which the screen 30 bears.

The screen 30 is folded down at its periphery 31 between the two rings 60 and 70.

The lower ring 60 and the upper ring 70 engage by snap-fastening.

FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively show the lower ring 60 and upper ring 70 on their own.

The upper ring 70 comprises coupling reliefs 71 and the lower ring 60 a corresponding annular groove 61 in which the coupling reliefs 71 are snap-fastened.

The upper ring 70 and lower ring 60 each comprise catching spikes 81 which pass into the screen 30. These catching spikes 81 have for example a pyramidal or conical shape and their height is for example between 0.5 and 4 mm.

The catching spikes 81 of the upper ring 70 and of the lower ring 60 may be situated opposite one another. The screen 30 is thus both gripped between the two rings 60 and 70 and caught on the two rings via the catching spikes 81.

The lower ring 60 may comprise, as illustrated, a radially innermost first upright 62 a, an intermediate upright 62 b and a radially outer ost third upright 62 c.

The uprights 62 a and 62 b are connected by a first annular wall 63 a, and the uprights 62 b and 62 c are connected by a second annular wall 63 b.

The walls 63 a and 63 b are oriented perpendicularly to the axis X, while the uprights 62 a, 62 b and 62 c are tubular and coaxial with the axis X.

The groove 61 is produced on the radially inner face of the upright 62 c. The spikes 81 are carried by the wall 63 a. The latter extends in a manner set back from the upper edge of the uprights 62 a and 62 b, such that the spikes 81 extend in an annular groove formed between the uprights 62 a and 62 b, above the wall 63 a. The spikes 81 do not project out of this groove. The upright 62 c is taller than the others.

The upper ring 70 comprises a tubular first upright 72 a which is connected at the top to a transverse wall 73. This first upright 72 a carries the coupling reliefs 71.

The upper ring 70 comprises a second upright 72 b, radially inside the first upright, the lower end of said second upright 72 b carrying the spikes 81, and a third upright 72 c radially inside the second upright 72 b.

When the rings 60 and 70 are assembled, the third upright 72 c is positioned next to the first upright 62 a, the screen 30 being gripped between the two. The second upright 72 b is inserted into the groove formed between the uprights 62 a and 62 b, above the wall 63 a. The first upright 72 a is inserted between the uprights 62 b and 62 c, and presses the screen 30 at its periphery 31 against the upright 62 b.

The wall 73 bears against the upper edge of the upright 62 c.

The radially inner surface of the neck 13 comprises an annular groove 14 in which the radially outer edge 91 of the upper ring 70 is snap-fastened.

The container 10 comprises a bottom 12, of spherical shape, that is concave towards the screen 30, for example with a radius of curvature of between 30 and 60 mm, for example 45 mm.

In order to use the device 1, the user takes off the protective lid 40.

The user can then apply an applicator 20 to the upper surface S_(sup) of the screen 30, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

The user can simply apply the applicator to the upper surface S_(sup) of the screen 30 without moving the applicator 20 other than by moving it into contact with and then away from the screen 30, preferably applying a pressure to the latter during the contact between the applicator 20 and the screen 30, this causing the product P to be deposited on the applicator 20.

In a variant, at the time that product is picked up, the user can turn the applicator 20 or the upper surface of the screen 30 and/or move it in translation.

The user can load the applicator 20 as desired by pressing on the screen 30. The user can in particular press on the screen 30 a number of times in a compression/relaxation cycle of the cellular material, in order to increase the loading of the screen 30 with product P.

Once the applicator has been loaded with product P, the user can dab his/her skin with the applicator 20 in order to apply the product P present on the applicator 20 thereto.

The user can blur the product P thus deposited as much as required with the same applicator 20, by moving it over the skin, or with the aid of another applicator.

FIG. 7 shows a variant of the device according to the invention, comprising a lower ring 60 having holes into which spikes 100 of the upper ring are inserted, the screen 30 being gripped between the two rings and perforated by the spikes 100.

The screen 30 is shown schematically between the lower ring 60 and upper ring 70 in FIG. 7: the gripping of the screen 30 between said rings and the corresponding deformation have not been reproduced.

The seal 24 is annular in the example in FIG. 7.

The protective lid 40 may accommodate a mirror 80.

The screen 30 may comprise through-orifices 35, as illustrated.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples illustrated, and it is possible in particular to combine the characteristics of the examples illustrated with one another as parts of variants which are not illustrated. For example, the screen in FIG. 1 may be provided with through-orifices. It is possible for the one in FIG. 7 not to have through-orifices.

Further variants are possible. For example, the screen 30 may be movable in the container 10 along the axis X in order to accompany the drop in the level of product P as the latter is removed. In this case, it is for example fixed at its periphery to a rigid frame sliding in the housing containing the product.

The expression “comprising a” should be understood as being synonymous with “comprising at least one”. 

1. Packaging and application device, comprising: a container containing a product to be applied, a screen, comprising a cellular and deformable material, through which the product contained in the container exits, the container comprising a bottom, the screen being able to come into contact with the bottom of the container when the product in the container has been used up.
 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the screen is constituted by the cellular material.
 3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the screen is elastically deformable.
 4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the screen comprises a polyurethane PU foam, a polyethylene PE foam, an EVA foam, a PVC foam, an impregnated PU foam, a cellular EPDM rubber, a cellular neoprene rubber, a cellular nitrile rubber (NBR/PVC), a compact neoprene rubber, a hard EPDM rubber, a solid SBR rubber, a compact nitrile rubber, a spongy rubber (EPDM, neoprene, silicone), a polyether and/or a polyester.
 5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the screen is single-layered or multi-layered.
 6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the screen has through-orifices.
 7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the product is fluid.
 8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the product is between 0.37 and 0.57 Pa·s.
 9. Device according to claim 1, wherein the product is a cosmetic product.
 10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a protective lid which covers the screen when the product is not being picked up, and the device does not have an applicator accommodated between the protective lid and the screen.
 11. Device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the screen is substantially constant in its part through which the product passes during use.
 12. Device according to claim 1 wherein the screen is fixed at its periphery to the rest of the device.
 13. Device according to claim 12, wherein the screen is fixed at its periphery to the rest of the device by at least one lower ring for holding the screen and at least one upper ring for holding the screen, the lower ring and the upper ring engaging with one another.
 14. Device according to claim 12, wherein the screen is fixed at its periphery to the rest of the device by at least one ring overmoulded with the screen.
 15. Device according to claim 12, wherein the screen is fixed at its periphery to the rest of the device by being clamped between the container and at least one fixing ring.
 16. Device according to claim 13, wherein the container comprises an annular groove for receiving the lower ring.
 17. Device according to claim 1, wherein the cellular material is an open-cell material.
 18. Device according to claim 1, wherein the cellular material is a closed-cell material, the screen having one or more through-orifices passing through it.
 19. Device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the container has a concave shape towards the screen.
 20. Device according to claim 1, wherein the screen is able to mould itself to the shape of the bottom of the container when the product in the container has been used up.
 21. Device according to claim 1, wherein the screen is not a follower.
 22. Device according to claim 1, wherein the screen comes into contact in a reversible manner with any point on the bottom of the container, when there is no product, and when a corresponding pressure is exerted from above in order to press it against the bottom of the container.
 23. Makeup method, comprising the steps of: loading an applicator with product by using a device according to claim 1, applying the product to a region to be treated of human keratin materials. 